Quirke wins Leinster Seniors Title

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2016 Leinster Seniors Amateur Open Championship at Glasson Golf

Michael Quirke (Doneraile) winner of the 2016 Leinster Seniors Amateur Open Championship trophy after his victory at Glasson Golf Club today. Picture by Pat Cashman

Doneraile’s Michael Quirke won the Leinster Seniors today, a one under par 72 was enough to give the North Cork man a three stroke margin of victory at Glasson Golf Club.  Fifteen steady pars were interrupted by two birdies and one bogey as Quirke carded one of only two under par rounds of the championship.  Michael had shot a level par 73 in the first round to hold the joint lead with  Garth McGimpsey and Val Smith.  Neither Smith or McGimpsey could match their first round scores, McGimpsey’s 78 was good enough for 4th place while Smith faded with an 86.  Barry O’Leary (Greystones) was second on +2 and John Mitchell (Tramore) was third on +4.  Cork’s Tom Cleary had another 76 today to give  him a share of 5th place, with Jerry Crean (Kinsale) and Peter Cowley (Cork) tied in 13th place.  George Mellerick (Fota Island), John Cuffe (Monkstown) and Paddy Harrington (Muskerry) all finished down the field. Continue reading →

Quirke Leads Leinster Seniors, Barrett 2nd in Leinster Boys

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Michael Quirke.jpg

Michael Quirke (Doneraile)

Doneraile’s Michael Quirke leads the Leinster Seniors at Glasson after round one.  Quirke started with a bogey on the first hole and added a second on the fifth, before birdieing the 8th to turn on one over.  He birdied the 10th but added a double on the 14th to go two over.  Two birdies on the  run in saw him finish on level par, sharing the lead with Garth McGimpsey and Val Smith.  In a  crowded leaderboard there are 10 within three shots of the lead, including Tom Cleary who’s in a tie for 6th place on +3.  Peter Cowley is tied for 10th place on +4, and Jerry Crean (Kinsale) is a shot back in 15th place.

Leinster Seniors Live Scoring

Fred Daly Trophy Munster Finals

Greg Barrett (Mallow)

Mallow’s Greg Barrett is in a tie for second place, just two shots off the lead in the Leinster Boys.  Barrett had three birdies and three bogies on his way to the level par 72.  He’s two behind Patrick Brennan from Belvoir Park.  Kineale’s Mark Healy is in 25th position with +4 and Eric Rumley is further back on +8.  The event continues tomorrow in Mullingar GC.

Leinster Boys Live Scoring

Fota Island

O’Flaherty wins Irish Mid-Am title for second time

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2016 Irish Over-30s Amateur Open Championship at Limerick Golf C

John Moloughney (Chairman, Munster Branch, GUI) presenting Gary O’Flaherty (Cork) with the 2016 Irish Over-30s Amateur Open Championship trophy after his victory at Limerick Golf Club today (19/06/2016). Also in the picture is Frank O’Mahony (Captain, Limerick Golf Club). Picture by Pat Cashman

Gary O’Flaherty won the Irish Mid Amateur Championship for a second time today in tough conditions in Limerick.  O’Flaherty had a five shot lead going into the final round however difficult playing conditions meant that a win was far from guaranteed at Limerick Golf Club.  He was four shots ahead of Eddie McCormack (Galway) and both golfers matched each other on the front nine.  After three pars each, they both birdied the 4th and they both went on to bogey the 5th.  They both turned on +1 but McCormack started a charge with birdies on the 10th and 12th to cut the lead to three.  O’Flaherty was playing very steady golf but bogied the 16th when his ball Continue reading →

O’Flaherty shoots 64 at Irish Mid-Am

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Munster Strokeplay Championship 2016

Gary O’Flaherty, the new Sales Manager Ireland for Cobra/Puma Golf 

Gary O’Flaherty (Cork Golf Club) shot rounds of 64 & 72 to take a four shot lead into the final round of the Irish Mid-Amateur (Over 30) Open in Limerick today.  The recent Castletroy Scratch winner has taken a shine to Limerick and he rattled in 9 birdies in his opening round.  A bogey on the back nine meant that he had to settle for a 64 but that gave him a four stroke lead.

O’Flaherty has been busy on and off the course, he recently took over as Sales Manager for Cobra/Puma Golf in Ireland.  His second round started like the first adding two more birdies at the 1st and 5th.  He dropped a few shots around the turn but he didn’t give anything away as he signed for a level par 72 in the afternoon.  He’s four ahead of Woodstock’s Tony Cleary.

Gary O'Flaherty 64 Over 30

Castlemartyr’s Kenny McGarry also continued his good form, two consecutive 72’s see’s him in 9th place on level par.  McGarry dropped six shots in three holes on the back nine of his second round, but showed great strength to birdie the next hole to get himself back to level par.  Fota duo Keith Crowley and Sean Barry are inside the top 20 on +2 and Bandon’s Dave McCarthy also made to cut for tomorrow’s final round.

 

Irish Mid-Amateur (Over-30s) Open Championship Leaderboard

Final Round Draw

Fota Island

 

 

Blarney and Mahon host Irish Mixed Foursomes

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CGN IMF 24th June 2015-27Blarney and Mahon will be busy places tomorrow as they with both host qualifiers for the Irish Mixed Foursomes.  Mahon were area finalists last year and hopes will be high that they qualify from their home course.  They will play the winner of the morning match between Monkstown and Fernhill.

2015 Munster semi-finalists Skibbereen are in action tomorrow morning when they take on Macroom in Blarney.

Irish Mixed Foursomes South Munster Draw

Meanwhile, several Cork golfers will be in action in Limerick Golf Club tomorrow at the the Irish Mid Amateur Open.  Gary O’Flaherty, Keith Crowley, and Sean Continue reading →

8 Clubs left in Michael Cashman Fourball

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Munster Golf_Michael Cashman Trophy Presentation_LGE

Michael John Roche and JJ Sheehan from East Cork Golf Club presenting John Moloughney, Munster Branch GUI with the Michael Cashman Trophy which will be played for in the Munster Club Fourball competition.  The trophy was presented in honour of former Munster Branch Chairman and East Cork member. Picture: Niall O’Shea

The first round of the Michael Cashman Fourball took place over the past three weeks and there are eight clubs left in the second round.  The competition has an unusual format in that three of the five matches take lace in the first named club and the other two matches take place in the second club.  All five matches must be played on the same day.  The six first round matches were completed during June and the second round matches must be completed by 3rd July.

Nationally the competition is called the All Ireland Fourball Inter Club competition, and all Munster clubs are playing for the Michael Cashman Trophy.  The is the first year the competition has been played and is limited to golfers with a handicap of 16 or higher, with a minimum combined handicap of 36.

 

Round 1 Results:
Bandon bt Bantry Bay 3/2
Douglas bt Cork 3/2
Macroom bt Lee Valley 3/2
Fermoy bt East Cork 3/2
Lisselan bt Fernhill 3.5/1.5
Mallow bt Mahon 3/2

Round 2 Draw:
Muskerry -v-Bandon
Douglas -v- Mallow
Monkstown -v- Lisselan
Fermoy -v- Macroom

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British Mid Amateur Championship

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Dave O’Donovan finished in the top ten at the British Mid Amateur Championship last month.  The Muskerry golfer travelled to Nottingham at the end of May to play in the 54 hole championship at Hollinwell GC.  O’Donovan opened with a disappointing 79 (+7) which saw him just outside the top half of the field.  He recovered however with a 74 (+2) in the afternoon, and the following day he closed with a very respectable 75 that saw him finish in 7th place.  Niall Gorey also travelled to Hollinwell to play his first competitive rounds since an injury ruled him of of several early season events.  Gorey was in a good position after shooting a 76 in the opening round but a second round Continue reading →

McSweeney takes top 10 place in Leinster Youths

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AIG Junior Cup Munster Finals

Adam McSweeney

Adam McSweeney (Douglas) shot a final round 68 at the Leinster Youths to secure a top ten finish.  McSweeney started brightly with a birdie on the opening hole and although he bogied the 7th, he regained the shot on the 8th.  Two more birdies followed  on the 10th and 11th and McSweeney eagled the 14th.  He took a four iron on the short par four and holed out with a classy wedge from 135 yards.  Unfortunately for McSweeeney he dropped a shot on the way home but he did sign for a 68 and was one of only three golfers to break 70 on the final day.

Kinsale’s Cathal Butler recovered from a disappointing 79 yesterday to card two rounds of 73 today.  That saw him move up to tie for 12th place.  Mark Healy and Gary Ward also made the 36 hole cut but finished down the field on the final day.

Winner Marc Norton came storming through the field with a final round 67.  The 19 year old Belvoir Park golfer set the clubhouse target on level par and then waited anxiously as Jake Whelan (Newlands) and Jack Blake (The Island) tried to catch him down the closing straight.  In the end both players came up short.  Norton’s final round heroics included six birdies, three on each nine. Two under at the turn thanks to birdies at the first, sixth and eighth, Norton picked up further shots at the 10th and the 13th, where he stitched a 6-iron within two feet of the pin from 179 yards.

Continue reading →

Walsh, McGrath, Leonard & Byrne make Munster Ladies and Girls teams

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ILGU AIG Senior Cup Munster Final, Douglas Golf Club, Sunday 8th May 2015Munster named strong sides for the upcoming interprovincials which will take place in Slieve Russell next month.  Doneraile’s Paul Walsh is the only Cork golfer to make the Ladies team and it’s a fair reward for several strong performances over the early season.  Walsh was part of the Cork GC team that won the Munster Senior Cup title in Douglas recently.

There were three local golfers selected to play on the Munster Girls team.  Grave McGrath (East Cork), Ciara Leonard (Mitchelstown) and Sarah Byrne (Douglas) were all selected to play under the experienced eye of Jennifer Hickey who will captain the side.

The interprovincial matches take place from the 5th – 7th July and have been running for over half a century and are an essential element in the development of talented and elite golfers. Each province shall play each other by matchplay which will Continue reading →